For the sixth straight season, Lake Erie and Gannon open the college football season on a Thursday night in "The Battle for the Ship's Wheel Trophy." Gannon has won four of the first five meetings but all five games in the series have been decided by six points or less. In the prior five meetings, Gannon has outscored Lake Erie 131-122 overall. The Storm's lone win in the series was in 2011, a 13-10 victory in Painesville. In 2011, a trophy was introduced to the Lake Erie-Gannon series, the Ship's Wheel to commemorate "The Battle of Lake Erie." For a brief history of the wheel, and its symbolism, click here.

UP NEXT: Lake Erie opens Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play on the road next Saturday, Sept. 14, with a cross-divisional game against Ferris State University. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Top Taggert Field in Big Rapids, Mich.

ONLINE: To get Storm football information sent directly to your inbox, sign up for the Storm Alert. During the game, follow the Storm on Twitter at @lecsports and at any time like us on Facebook or watch highlights and videos on You Tube. For a complete recap afterwards, with statistics, photos and player and coach interviews, log on to www.LakeErieStorm.com.